


Brush Twice A Day

by professional_benaddict, Teddy1008



Series: One Step A Day [2]
Category: Doctor Strange (2016), Iron Man (Movies), Spider-Man (Tom Holland Movies)
Genre: Age Play, Daddy Kink, Daddy Stephen, Daddy Tony, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, Little Peter, M/M, Non-Sexual Age Play, Peter needs his wisdom teeth taken out, Recovery, past trauma
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-18
Updated: 2020-08-20
Packaged: 2021-03-06 00:40:27
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 9,224
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25674472
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/professional_benaddict/pseuds/professional_benaddict, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Teddy1008/pseuds/Teddy1008
Summary: Peter has made vast progress in healing from his previous medical trauma, but the boy is still fearful of doctors. And dentists. And now he needs his wisdom teeth removed. Thankfully, Peter has two amazing Daddies to support him, plus a puppy! Say hello to Snowball!Sequel to 'An Apple A Day'.
Relationships: Peter Parker/Stephen Strange, Peter Parker/Tony Stark, Tony Stark/Stephen Strange
Series: One Step A Day [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1876828
Comments: 21
Kudos: 107





	1. Secret Sausage Feedings

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi hi hello! Jae and I are at it again with a sequel to ’An Apple A Day’! We’ve had this idea for a while and now it’s finally up for yall to read. We hope you enjoy it as much as we enjoyed writing it c: 
> 
> \- Rafni

“Daddies! 'm readyyy!" Peter called for the fifth time. He was impatiently hopping from foot to foot, too excited to stay still. He huffed when there was no response, pouting. His Daddies were taking far too long. While the boy waited, he peered at himself in the mirror, admiring the cute little froggy hoodie he was wearing. It was big on him and it gave him sweater paws, just how he liked it. However, he was dragged out of his thoughts when he heard footsteps behind him and he whirled around with a squeal of excitement.

“Okay, let’s-” Tony barely got to finish his sentence before Peter was sprinting out of his room and down the stairs. It was like the boy’s butt was on fire, he was in that kind of hurry. Luckily, Stephen managed to grab his elbow before Peter could dive down the stairs. 

“Woah, woah! Slow down, mister. We don’t want another owie head.” Stephen reminded with a chuckle, but on the inside he was quite serious. He’d hate for the boy to hurt himself, again.

“Takin' forever!” Peter whined, but he obeyed and stayed still. Then, he reached out and held Stephen's hand to walk down the stairs together. Maybe doing that would make them leave the house sooner. He was frustrated when it didn't have any effect besides a chuckle, but it was soon forgotten as a new question entered his mind. “Daddy.” He started, chewing his bottom lip thoughtfully. “If two puppies are brothers, can we take both?” He looked up quizzically at the man. “Is mean to separate them.” 

“Peter...” Stephen chuckled again. It was quite amusing just how many questions Peter had asked since he and Tony had told him they would get a puppy. And just like now, half of the questions had been about getting more than one puppy. “We talked about this. A puppy is a huge responsibility, so we are only getting one for now. You’re lucky to even get one, so I don’t want to hear more whining about it, okay?” The doctor scolded gently and nudged Peter gently by the door for him to put his shoes on.

Peter huffed, but didn't say anything else, just letting Stephen help him put his shoes on. He let out a squeal of excitement again when Tony joined them and hoisted him onto his hip. This was really happening, Peter was going to get a puppy! He couldn't wait to see all the cute puppies and pet them and have them lick his hand and play with them! He didn't realise he'd been saying all that out loud until Tony kissed his cheek and then spoke. 

“It's gonna be a quick ride to the shelter, okay, honey? What music do you want to listen to today?”

“Disney!” Peter clapped his hands as he was brought out of the house and then seated in the car. “Gotta start with Moana, m'kay, Daddy?”

And Peter got his wish, although the Daddies would have loved if the boy could pick the Ghibli movies soundtrack now and then too. It was weird, because the boy loved the movies, but for some reason the soundtrack didn’t interest him. But, it was still a happy ride to the shelter with Peter singing along to most of the songs. It was an adorable sight and the boy did mostly sing quite sweetly and beautifully despite not knowing all the words. Once they arrived though, the music stopped, and Peter pouted momentarily before he realised they were at their destination. Peeking out the car window, Peter could see a large building with a sign by the door. There were puppies and kitties on it, and Peter squealed with excitement as Tony to get the boy out of the car. 

“Peter, listen to me now, bud.” Tony paused, taking Peter’s hands when they were stood by the entrance to the shelter. “This is the puppies’ home, which means we have to be respectful and polite. No shouting and running, okay? Try to be quiet so that we don’t scare them. Deal?”

Peter listened with wide eyes and nodded fiercely. Anything to get himself a puppy, or puppies. He still hadn't let go of the opportunity of getting more than one. He knew his Daddies were set on only getting one and Stephen had told him not to whine about it, but he'd never said Peter couldn't think about it! When Tony was done with his speech, he spoke solemnly. 

“I pinky promise, Daddy!” 

And so, the little family of three entered the building. The first noise Peter heard was the sound of barking. He shrank back a bit against Stephen, he hadn't realised how loud it would be inside.

“Hey, it’s okay—want me to hold you?” Stephen asked and then quickly took Peter up into his arms while Tony went to the front desk. “The puppies know that we are here, you see. They can smell and hear us and they are all excited to see us. That’s why they are barking.” He explained softly in Peter’s ear. The doctor could sense the nerves on the boy, and so before even thinking about it really, he started swaying gently to sooth the boy.

Peter felt calmer after hearing what Stephen had said and he was content to lay his head on his shoulder, wrapping his arms around his neck. 

“Where's Daddy?” He whispered into his Daddy's ear. Now that his initial shock was beginning to ease off, the excitement was once again returning.

“Talking to the ones working here. They’ll let us in to look at the puppies soon.” Stephen continued to explain helpfully, bouncing Peter gently to keep him content. Soon enough, Tony joined them as well and gestured to a door. 

“Ready to see the pups, sweets?” Tony asked Peter. Although this was a gift for Peter, the older man couldn’t help but grin a bit in excitement too. Stephen looked just the same.

“Yeah!” Peter grinned back and struggled in Stephen's arms. “Daddy, I can walk! Am brave!” He heard Stephen give a snort of amusement, but he paid it no attention, satisfied as his feet touched the ground. “Which one can we see first?” He asked curiously.

Tony had told the worker which kind of dog they were looking for, and what kind they definitely were not, so the young female volunteer lead them past a bunch of cages. Some of the dogs perked up and came to see who the visitors were, but some didn’t bother at all. Some also barked, so Stephen took Peter’s hand and squeezed it to remind him of what they talked about earlier. 

“They are just excited, baby, don’t worry.” Stephen whispered to Peter, giving him an encouraging smile. Peter gave his Daddy a crossed look in return. 

“'m brave!" But secretly, he was glad that Stephen was comforting him. He wasn't scared, but he wasn't feeling too happy when it seemed like all the dogs were barking at him. His brows furrowed with concern as a sudden thought popped into his mind. “Daddy, the puppies like me, right?" He looked up anxiously at Stephen.

“Baby—”

“Here we are! So, this is the one I was talking about. She’s just 5 months old, so still a puppy, although she doesn’t look like it.” The chirpy volunteer announced and paused by a cage containing a young, female Samoyed dog. Unlike most of the other canines, she was much calmer although she was excited. Her large, hot pink tongue lolled out of her open mouth while she trotted back and forth in the front, almost like showing herself off to the three of them.

Peter stared at the dog. She was big, much bigger than how he'd pictured puppies to be. He saw his Daddies watching him and was determined to make sure that they knew he wasn't nervous. If they saw that, he might not get a puppy after all! Looking at the worker, he decided to be brave and asked. 

“Can I pet her?”

“Yeah, sure.” The volunteer replied and began opening the cage. The dog must have realised what was going on, because she began jumping and wagging her tail even faster than before. But, she still remained quiet. The Daddies exchanged a pleased look. 

“Remember what we talked about. Let her just sniff you at first.” Tony reminded Peter when the volunteer let him into the fenced off area.

Peter nodded and stared at the dog with a serious expression on his face, brows furrowed with concentration. He stiffened when she trotted up to him, but it quickly changed into a giggle when she licked his fingers gently. She sat down on her haunches, looking at him questioningly, as if she were asking ‘am I doing okay?’. Peter cautiously reached out and gently pet her head. Her fur was soft, like a cloud, and he smiled immediately, enjoying how she sat still and let him play with her fur.

It was weird how well the dog was behaving, but the Daddies were not complaining. Peter seemed to like her, although he was still a bit nervous. Letting the two have some more time together, Stephen and Tony began asking the volunteer about the dog’s history. As nice as the dog seemed to be at first glance, she would have to have a decent enough history for them to take her home.

Peter heard his Daddies talking to the worker, but he paid it no attention. He was focused on the puppy. She had begun to try and lick his hand every time he pet her, making him giggle even harder. Eventually, she jumped to her paws, tongue lolling out happily, and she tried to lick his face. Peter let out a shrill squeal of excitement of laughter at that.

The dog was behaving well, almost too well, but Stephen nor Tony were complaining. Instead, they exchanged a pleased look, signalling that they were happy with this choice. But, as well behaved as the dog was, the men still wanted to know everything about her history. They let Peter continue to pet the dog while they interrogated the volunteer. In return, they also got interrogated by the volunteer about their work schedules, the size of their house and everything else relevant to dog care. Eventually, they were interrupted by Peter. He looked up at his Daddies with a gleam in his eyes. 

“Please, can we get her?” The boy begged with his best puppy eyes. “She’s so cute and perfect and she loves me and I love her and we can call her Snowball!” He paused, then added seriously. “‘Cuz her fur is white like snow.” He gave a satisfied nod to himself; surely that would win his Daddies over! Snowball was perfect for them.

“Snowball, huh? Did you come up with that right now?” Tony asked and crouched down next to Peter. At his appearance, the female dog perked up again with excitement and shifted its weight between its paws, sniffling curiously at Tony’s hands and arms. “Hi, hi!” Tony laughed, letting the dog sniff him before petting her as well. “So you’re coming home with us, huh?”

Peter nodded eagerly. 

“Called Snowball.” He said proudly. “She told me! And now she come home with us!” He jumped to his feet, grabbing Tony’s hand, and tugged insistently. “C’mon, Daddy, we gotta get a hundred toys for her and food and water and—”

“Okay, okay, slow down, baby.” Tony chuckled and took a hold of Peter’s hand to help the boy settle. “We’ll get Snowball, but first we gotta sign-”

Tony barely got to finish before Peter shrieked so loudly with glee that all the dogs at the shelter started barking and howling, even Snowball.

———

Two weeks had passed since the family had adopted Snowball. It had been a wonderful, but also at times a hard two weeks. Moving from the shelter to a completely new home was something that Snowball spent at least a week getting used to. During that time, she was restless, and even nervous at times. But, the Daddies were there for her, as was Peter. The boy and the puppy quickly grew very attached, and the Daddies were a bit horrified at seeing Snowball obey Peter more than them. They would definitely have to work on establishing and upholding their dominance soon, or one day Snowball and Peter might be on top. Sure, the duo were adorable, but the mischief the two could come up with was endless. 

It was a cloudy afternoon at home, and Peter hadn’t moved from his spot in the living room for forever now. But, it wasn’t his fault. Snowball seemed to like this spot too! She kept panting happily as Peter rubbed between her ears, cooing. 

“Daddy! Gimme a toy!” He demanded, knowing that Tony was in the kitchen fixing up his snack. He waited impatiently for a response. Peter knew that Snowball didn’t like waiting! And he knew that because he didn’t like waiting.

“Peter, I’m busy now making your snack. Just wait a bit.” Tony called back. For a moment, he thought Peter had listened, but then he heard familiar footsteps accompanied by less familiar steps. 

“Hey— hey, go sit at the table.” Tony directed Peter when he appeared by his elbow. The last thing he wanted in the kitchen was a dog and a boy on the loose, especially since he hadn’t had time to put away the knife yet that he had used to cut up Peter’s snack.

Peter pouted and reminded where he was, although he did stop a few feet away from his Daddy. Snowball was right beside him, panting happily. 

“But, toy!” He complained. “Am not hungry.” But still, with a huff, he went over to the table, though he made sure Daddy heard a few stomps mixed in with his footsteps this time. It wasn't fair! He wasn't hungry and Snowball clearly wanted to play. She had followed him over to the table and was now looking up at him quizzically. She clearly wanted to play, and Daddy wasn't letting them. Peter craned his neck to the living room. He couldn't remember where his Daddies had put everything they'd bought for Snowball, or he would've gone and fetched one of her toys by himself. 

“Well, it’s snack time now, like always. You need some food in you before we head to meet Daddy after work, okay?” Tony argued and set Peter’s snack and drink in front of him. The plate included a few mini sausages, and the meaty smell seemed to catch Snowball’s attention, and the dog began hopping around Tony. “No, no, Snowball, sit. Oh, come on. Sit, love.” 

But, Snowball had other ideas and suddenly become transfixed with the floor, and even licked at it. Peter giggled at Snowball’s antics. She was just too cute! His Daddies always gave him nice treats when he was well-behaved. Snowball was well-behaved, and that meant she had to be rewarded! Sneaking a look at his Daddy, Peter quickly dropped a piece of sausage to the floor once more, kicking his feet happily against the floor when Snowball snatched up the sausage while wagging her tail. Then, she pressed her snout to his fingers and the boy cooed. 

“You want more? M’kay, Snowball!”

At the sound of Peter asking if Snowball wanted more, Tony quickly turned around from where he was in the kitchen. He was just in time to see Snowball swallowing something, then licking her lips before begging for more. 

“Peter, stop that now! You can’t feed her like that.” Tony said and came up to pull Snowball away by her new pink collar. The dog yelped a bit, but not in pain, but rather in frustration at not getting more treats. Peter frowned up at his Daddy. 

“She wanted some too!” Peter claimed defensively. With a pout, he popped a piece of sausage into his mouth. "'Nd is not my fault, 'cus I said I wasn't hungry.” The second part was now a half-lie, since the smell and taste of his snack had made him hungrier than before, but he wasn't about to tell that to his Daddy. “Can Snowball stay beside me?” He gave his best puppy eyes.

“No, Snowball will have to learn now that begging isn’t acceptable.” Tony said and took Snowball’s collar again to guide her elsewhere. Both the puppy and the boy let out noises of complaint in response, but Tony didn’t budge. “No, no, we’ll never have a peaceful meal if she doesn’t learn.”

Peter sadly looked at the snack in front of him and back at the dog, who was leaving with Tony. Daddy was being so unfair! When Tony came back and informed him sternly that he was going to clean up the house and reminded him to pick up after his toys, Peter sullenly nodded. After a few moments of silence, Peter gently slid off his chair and padded over to the doorway leading to the dining area, peeking out of it. 

“Snowball!” He called softly. He frowned when nothing happened, then called out again a bit louder. “Snowball?” Then, a blur of white fur appeared and Peter stifled a giggle when the dog licked his cheek in an enthusiastic greeting, even though they had only been separated for a minute. “Aw, you’re hungry!” He cooed, patting her head. “Is okay, I’ll feed you and make sure you’re not! Is gonna be super yummy, Snowball!” He happily fed her a piece of sausage, which she licked up straight away, tail wagging happily. “See, I’m much nicer than stinky Daddy.” He smiled.

As frustrating as it was for the Daddies to see Peter feed Snowball behind their backs, they couldn’t help but just let it pass. Peter looked so happy, like he was beaming constantly. During the first few weeks, the two were stuck by the hip, and went everywhere together. The boy clearly needed this, someone that was just for him in a way that the Daddies couldn’t always be. And, during the next week, they got some bad news about Peter, so the Daddies were extra happy that they had decided to get Snowball when they did. Peter would definitely need extra support to pull through this awful situation.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you sm for reading! We’ll see how Peter manages at the dentist tomorrow🥺💓


	2. Sedating IV Drips

Peter anxiously pressed his hands to Snowball’s thick white fur, gently petting her. Other people were also waiting, sitting a few chairs away from them, but Peter could bet that he was the most nervous. Booping Snowball’s nose gently, he leaned closer to his Daddy. 

“Do we have to do this?” The boy asked, his voice a quiet whisper. He already knew the answer, but he wanted to make sure.

“Yes, we have to, darling.” Tony comforted and wrapped his arms around Peter so that his back was pressed against his side. The boy could still reach his hands out to pet Snowball though, but to be sure she got the pets, she put her head in Peter’s lap. It was almost like the puppy could sense what was going on.

The little family sat in the waiting room at the dental clinic where Peter was going to have surgery to remove his wisdom teeth. They had been to the dentist a week before, just for an annual check up when the dentist had said that Peter’s wisdom teeth would have to come out to avoid problems later on. Although Peter had recovered from some of his medical trauma during his concussion recovery, the boy had still been mortified at the news about his teeth. The Daddies even thought that if Snowball hadn’t been there to cheer Peter up, he would have had a complete meltdown. It was definitely a good thing that they got Snowball before all this.

Peter frowned, upset at the thought of having to go through with the scary procedure. It wasn't fair! His Daddies never had to do anything like this! 

“What if we come back tomorrow?” He tried suggesting to Tony. “Daddy, can Snowball come with me? And stay the whole time?” He knew Snowball would protect him.

“No, I’m sorry, sweetheart. Snowball will have to stay out here with Daddy. I’ll be with you the whole time though.” Tony reassured. “You see, it’s gotta be really clean in there, and so they can’t let Snowball in who’s all dirty.” 

“She licks her own butt, you know.” Stephen chimed in, nudging Peter a bit to try and cheer him up.

Peter giggled a bit at that, but quickly fell quiet when his name was called. It was a nurse, and she was standing by the door leading into the clinic. Her smile was friendly, but Peter didn’t trust her. No way! 

“I don’t wanna go!” Peter begged Tony, but when the man didn’t say anything, he turned to Stephen. “Please, I don’t want to!” He held onto Snowball, refusing to budge.

“Baby, baby, it will be okay. Remember when we talked about it? You’ll get a needle in your hand and then you’ll be asleep the whole time, no pain at all.” Stephen reminded. After hearing about the need for surgery, Stephen and Tony had spent a whole afternoon and evening prepping Peter and explaining every step of the way. But, it seemed like that still wasn’t enough to soothe the boy completely. At all the commotion and Peter’s distressed tone, Snowball became antsy and restless. She whined quietly, so Stephen took her by her collar to help her settle. Meanwhile, Tony took Peter’s arms to pull him away gently. Peter leaned against Tony, letting him guide him to the room. 

“Stay.” He mumbled quietly, and raised his arms, signifying that he wanted to be held. Peter let Tony carry him the rest of the way.

“You’ll see Snowball in just a bit.” Tony assured and kissed Peter’s cheek twice while he followed the dental nurse into the room. 

“Here we are, you can just put him in the chair.” The female nurse informed and pointed at the chair. “The dentist will be in shortly. Can I have your hand, sweetheart?” She asked kindly when Tony put him in the chair.

Peter looked up at Tony, hesitating, then stuck his hand out. 

“Am brave boy.” He informed both of them, making them laugh softly. While the nurse started working on his hand, Peter watched her every move carefully. Even though he was being brave, he definitely didn’t want anything painful. “Is it gonna hurt?”

“It might pinch just a bit, but it will be over in just a second.” The nurse said and busied herself with tightening the tourniquet around Peter’s wrist to make the vein pop. “I saw there was a cute dog in the waiting room. Did you see it?” 

Oh, she was good, Tony thought with a soft chuckle.

Peter’s eyes widened and nodded, bouncing up a bit in excitement. He loved showing off his pretty things, and Snowball was now one of them, if not his favourite. 

“Uh-huh! It’s my puppy! Her name is Snowball and she’s my best friend and she needs to come here and sit with me ‘cus she protects me when ‘m scared and stuff!”

“No way? That’s your puppy! I’m so jealous!” The nurse groaned out playfully. “But, I’m afraid she can’t come in here. I bet she is waiting for you right outside though.” She smiled, and waited for Peter to start rambling again before pushing in the IV needle into the back of his hand. The boy didn’t even flinch. 

Oh, she’s good, Tony thought. He couldn’t wait to tell Stephen.

Peter looked at his Daddy after recounting the events of the first day they’d gotten Snowball to the nurse, and then back down to his hand. He stared at it, eyes widening. Memories of pain, mean doctors and more pain invaded his mind, leaving behind a sense of terror in his whole body. It gave him the sudden urge to run. 

“Daddy!” He yelped softly, unsure of what to do.

“Hey, hey, it’s okay.” Tony shushed and jumped forward when Peter showed signs of panicking. He cupped the boy’s face in his hands, and gently turned him to face him, and away from his hand which now had the IV catheter in it. It was connected to tubing, which led up to a saline bag. Thanks to Stephen, Tony now knew that it contained the sedatives that would put Peter under for the dental surgery, but the tubing was locked for now. “Hey, look at me, baby. It’s just a little needle in your hand. You’ve had it before, and it will be okay. This is not like that one time, I promise. You’re okay.”

Peter pressed into his Daddy’s hands and whimpered. 

“Pinky promise.” He whispered, and smiled weakly when Tony nodded and pinky promised him back. “Is gonna be over soon?” The boy asked anxiously. “Can we... Daddy, can we have pizza after we’re done?” He wanted some comfort food, and that meant cheese pizza.

“Oh, baby... Your mouth is going to be achy for a while after. We can get you some mac and cheese though.” Tony offered, but he could tell by the scowl on Peter’s face that that wouldn’t suffice. But, before the boy could voice his disappointment, the dentist walked in. 

“Hey, everyone! Hi, Peter, you all right?” The dentist greeted cheerfully. If only the dentist could be as good as the nurse from before. Peter glared at the dentist. 

“No!” The boy scowled, with a tinge of a whine to his voice. “Don’ want... don’t want this!” He turned his glare to the needle now. “Is not fair, and I don’t even get pizza after!” On that last word, he looked up at Tony tearfully.

“Could we uhm- could we have a moment?” Tony asked the dentist, who quickly nodded and stepped out of the room along with the nurse. Once alone, Tony took Peter’s hands in his, minding the needle in his left hand. “Hey, baby.” Tony started, waiting till Peter looked up at him. “I know this sucks, it sucks a bunch, but we have to do this. Otherwise, it will suck a lot more later on. So, can you be brave for me? And Daddy and Snowball?”

Peter looked up at him, biting his quivering lip. He could be brave for his Daddies and Snowball. 

“Okay…” He whispered eventually. “Am brave. I can do this.” He craned his neck, looking for the dentist now. He wanted to get it over with. “Tell the scary dentist to come back in.”

“I will.” Tony chuckled at Peter’s choice of words. 

When the dentist returned, he still had a cheerful tone, although this time it was turned down a few notches. 

“So, you ready to have a nap, Peter? I see that Amanda got you all set up already, so all we have to do is turn on the flow. You ready?” The dentist asked and reached over to grab the IV line and the little lock on the tubing. Peter looked at Tony one last time for confirmation, then nodded. 

“I can have a nap.” He agreed hesitantly, though he was still a little worried. But, he trusted his Daddies and knew that nothing bad would happen to him.

“Okay, then I’ll start the sleepy meds now. Just let them take you under, bud.” The dentist said and opened the IV line so that the medication could start flowing. He patted Peter’s shoulder to reassure him, but then stepped aside to let Tony do most of that work. 

“Hey, baby.” Tony said, grabbing Peter’s attention while he was still conscious. “We’ll all be waiting for you, bud. You’ll be a bit achy when you wake up, but it will all be okay.” The man explained softly, watching as Peter’s blinking got slower and slower.

“‘kay, Da…” Peter nodded and mumbled, trying to stay awake so he could keep talking to Tony. But eventually, his eyes gave up on him and he let himself drift off to sleep.

“Peter, baby?” Tony asked, but Peter was already out. The man felt his heart sink a bit, but the dentist gave him a kind smile. 

“He’ll be just fine. I’ll have a nurse give you updates every half hour.” The dentist informed and Tony gave his thanks before stepping out. Even though he was the grown up, the caregiver in the situation, Tony still felt a bit shaky on his feet as he went to join Stephen and Snowball in the waiting room. That’s his baby in there, having his pretty, little mouth cut open. It seemed like Snowball knew that too, and definitely let out a yelp of protectiveness when she saw Tony returning without Peter. Stephen held onto Snowball, hushing her in case she disturbed anyone. 

“C’mon, love, you’re okay.” Stephen smiled at Tony, but it didn’t quite reach his eyes. Like any other caregiver, he was worried for his baby, even with all the medical knowledge he had. “He’ll be alright.” The doctor said, holding Tony’s hand comfortingly.

“Yeah, for now. It’s just- you told me about the recovery, and there will be pills, and gauze, and checking of the wounds and- I just don’t know how he will handle that.” Tony groaned out quietly. He didn’t exactly want everyone else in the waiting room to know everything, but he couldn’t help but put his head on Stephen’s shoulder for comfort. Stephen smiled sympathetically. 

“It'll be okay.” He looked down at Snowball, who was looking up at them anxiously. “See, you're freaking Snowball out.” He teased Tony good-naturedly. “Plus, you already know just how clingy he'll be with us afterwards. You like him being that adorable. He'll be okay.” His gaze flitted back to the hallway, hoping for everything to go smoothly. He shook his head firmly. It would, and soon, they'd have their baby boy back in their arms.

___________

An hour later, when Snowball had had two naps on the floor, the dentist finally returned to let Stephen and Tony know that the surgery was finished. Peter had pulled through with flying colours, he said, but the Daddies were still eager to see him. Considering how Tony went in with Peter earlier, he volunteered to stay behind with Snowball, and let Stephen go this time. 

Meanwhile, in the recovery room, Peter opened his eyes blearily. He blinked several times, trying to clear his head in vain. He opened his mouth and was confused when it felt like there was something in there. Frowning, he reached up to pull it, whatever it was, out. He didn't like it one bit! 

The doctor followed the dentist down the hall a bit anxiously, and gasped softly when the dentist showed him to a room where he saw Peter on a bed with a blanket over him. Then, he saw Peter trying to touch his mouth, and Stephen jumped forward to take his hand away. 

“Oh, no, no, baby. Just let that be, it’s okay.”

Peter blinked up dazedly at his Daddy. 

“Da? Is... is weird.” Peter tried to gesture to his mouth and let out a small whine. He wanted his Daddy to take the yucky stuff out, and yet here he was not letting him! He looked at Stephen with a demanding look. 

“It’s okay, it’s okay. You’re still all sleepy from the meds, but it’s over now. You’ve been so brave, baby.” Stephen cooed and brushed back Peter’s hair. “How are you feeling, hm?” The doctor continued and took a seat next to the boy on his bedside.

Peter whined again and held out his arms, wanting to be held. 

“Ick…” He informed Stephen. “'n tired.” Frowning, he pointed to his mouth. “'s okay?” He felt a flash of fear when asking that. What if his mouth was broken? What if something bad had happened?

“Aww, baby...” Stephen cooed and opened his arms to take Peter into his embrace. Considering how drugged up he was still, Stephen had to lift the boy’s upper body to hug him. Peter was like a little rag doll in his arms, and Stephen cooed again as he held him close. “You’re okay, you’re okay. The surgery went perfect and you’re all fixed up now. It might feel strange and icky, but that will pass in a day.” The doctor assured, although he wasn’t sure how much of it Peter was actually comprehending.

Peter leaned into Stephen's arms, trying to focus the warm and happy feeling he had right now while in his Daddy’s arms instead of the ache and stinging sensation in his mouth. It also felt puffy and swollen, and his tongue didn’t seem to fit in his mouth right. Everything was just awful, and Peter wanted it all to be over now. 

“We go home?” He asked pleadingly, voice a low whisper. “Don' like it here.” It was true, he didn't. He missed Daddy and Snowball and he didn't want to stay in an icky dentist place. He wanted to go home where his Daddies would spoil him with treats and yummy ice cream and TV time!

“Soon, baby. The dentist has to check on you one more time and then we’ll go home. Daddy and Snowball are waiting right outside for you.” Stephen said, hoping Peter would latch onto that rather than focus too much on how awful he was probably feeling.

Peter nodded tearfully. He knew arguing would just lengthen the time he had to stay here and that was the opposite of what he wanted. 

“Daddy, stay?” He whispered. He wrinkled his nose at the weird taste and texture in his mouth. “Take out.” He pointed to his mouth, opening wide for Daddy to see.

“Not yet, baby, you gotta have that gauze in your mouth for a bit. It’s helping, trust me.” Stephen assured and helped Peter to lie down again. When the boy whimpered tearfully, he shushed him gently and rubbed at his stomach. “I’m not going, I’m not. I’m staying right here with you. You just rest and we’ll be out of here before you know it.”

Peter nodded and closed his eyes, letting out a soft sigh. He just wanted everything to be done with. 

“Is dentist here, Da?”

“Do you want him here?” Stephen chuckled, and brushed back Peter’s hair again. The boy snapped his eyes open at that, and spluttered out denials while shaking his head. 

“Want Daddy here.” He raised a hand and caught Stephen’s hand in his own, admiring how firm and warm Stephen’s hand was. Had it always been that big? 

“Daddy’s right outside with Snowball, and I’m right here.” Stephen reassured with a soft chuckle. “You’ll be okay, Petey. You’ll be okay.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you sm for reading! Isn’t Peter the bravest boy ever??🥺🥺💓💓


	3. Cooled Off Mac 'N Cheese

Peter waited for his Daddy to bring his plate, sitting in his chair. Snowball sat patiently next to him, tongue lolling out happily. Peter liked how he was able to tangle his fingers in Snowball’s thick fur. It was definitely a comforting sensation, and so for the past week while recovering from his dental surgery, the boy had been petting Snowball constantly. The puppy seemed to be more than happy to provide her head for pets like that. After brushing back Snowball’s fur from her snout, Peter looked to the kitchen again. 

“Food, Daddy!”

“Just a second, baby.” Stephen replied in a sing-song voice from the kitchen. As per the dentist’s instructions, Stephen had to make sure Peter’s food was cool enough for him to eat. Any hot foods could cause damage to the fresh stitches in Peter’s mouth, and neither of the Daddies wanted that. But, the cooling of the food meant that Peter had to wait longer for his meals, which lead to some frustration. “There you go, honey. And remember to take small bites and take it easy, okay?” Stephen reminded, setting down Peter’s plate of mac and cheese in front of him.

Peter looked at the mac and cheese and nodded. 

“Snowball wants a bite!” He declared, wanting to see if she would like mac and cheese too. But, when he got a warning cough from Tony, he frowned and just grumpily popped the forkful into his mouth. He winced a bit while chewing, it felt weird still even after a week. “Daddy, want some?” He offered some to Stephen.

“I’m good, baby, but thank you.” Stephen smiled and kissed Peter’s temple. “Don’t give Snowball any, okay?” He added and then walked away, leaving Peter to have his meal in peace. Or as much peace as Snowball would allow him to have.

Peter happily ate his meal, making sure to pay attention to what Stephen had told him. He took small, little bites and he felt extra proud of himself when he didn't give in to Snowball's puppy eyes. Finally, he was finished eating and patting his full tummy, he pushed his plate away. 

“Daddyyyy!” He called, tapping his feet on the floor impatiently. “Can I play with Snowball now?”

“Did you finish your food?” Stephen asked, returning to the kitchen island to find Peter’s plate and sippy cup empty. He gave the boy’s head a pat, then helped him down from his seat. “You can go play for a bit, but it’s soon time for your meds and a lay down, okay?”

Peter sighed, but he nodded resolutely, wanting to be a good boy. 

“Okay." He agreed reluctantly. “Will- will you lie down with me in bed, Daddy?” He looked up at Stephen pleadingly. If he had to nap, why shouldn't Daddy? Surely he needed rest too! He smiled innocently, hoping that would make his wish come true.

“I’ll have to finish the laundry, bud, but I’ll come join you as soon as I can. Okay?” Stephen said, which apparently Peter didn’t like much, so the doctor added. “Snowball can nap with you though. I saw you two were all cuddled up together yesterday.”  
Almost as if on cue, Snowball twirled around Peter, tapping her front paws repeatedly in excitement while gazing up at Peter adoringly. The boy nodded excitedly at that, and agreed with a giggle while looking at Snowball. Her excitement was highly contagious. 

“But, play first. C'mon, Snowball!” He scuttled off to the living room where all his toys lay on the floor. “Snowball, sit!” He commanded, and to his surprise, the dog actually sat. “'m gonna show you all my toys!” Picking up a bunny stuffie, he explained seriously. “This is Peter Rabbit. Has the same name as me, Daddy said it suits him 'cuz he's small 'nd cute like me!” He gave Snowball a quick hug before moving on to the next toy. 

Half way through showing his toys to Snowball, Peter started to grow a bit tired and had to pause to rub his eyes multiple times. While Peter may have started nodding off during their play, Snowball showed no sign of tiredness and sat happily next to Peter with her tongue lolling out. At one point, she left Peter’s side though and bumped into Stephen on the way. Seeing the puppy alone made Stephen pause a bit, and so he went to check on Peter. The doctor was hardly surprised when he found Peter laying down on the floor amongst his toys. Peter looked up when he heard footsteps coming his way. 

“Daddy…” The boy mumbled, eyes lighting up when he saw Stephen. “Carry meeee.” He was feeling rather clingy now and just wanted to be held. When Stephen obliged, Peter leaned into him, curling his arms around his neck. “Will you play with me?”

“Oh, no, baby, it’s nap time for you now.” Stephen chuckled and rearranged Peter in his arms nicely before heading to the kitchen. Snowball followed them dutifully, with her tail wagging gently from side to side. “It’s also time for more pain meds. How’s your mouth feeling?” The doctor asked and used a gentle finger to stroke at the boy’s cheek. Peter leaned into the touch and closed his eyes, humming thoughtfully. 

“Is ick.” He decided, then added. “But, ‘s okay. Feels weird here.” He tried to stick a finger into Stephen’s mouth to show him.

“Oh, I’m sorry, baby. I’ll take a look and then get you some meds. That will help for sure.” Stephen reassured and rubbed Peter’s back before setting the boy on the kitchen bench. “What did you and Snowball do then?” The doctor asked while fetching Peter’s pain meds and some juice for him to wash it down.

“I showed her my toys!” Peter informed proudly, beaming like he’d just earned a gold medal. “And she sat and listened carefully to everything! And then I played with my cars and also Peter Rabbit.” Peter watched Stephen prepare his medicine. “Is it gonna be yucky, Da?”

“That sounds great, baby.” Stephen beamed back, and then offered Peter the first of two pills. “It’s not yucky, no. Just make sure to swallow it properly.” He instructed and placed the pill on the boy’s tongue before helping him take a sip of the juice. “Good, good boy.” Peter swallowed the pills down with his Daddy's help. Then, he looked up at Stephen. 

“We done?” Peter asked with a pout. He enjoyed being spoiled and coddled by everyone after the scary dentist visit, but he definitely didn't like this yucky medicine part. He eyed Stephen suspiciously, knowing he was also a doctor, although a less scary, much nicer one than other doctors Peter had seen before. “You gotta poke me 'n stuff?”

“No, no, not at all.” Stephen chuckled and kissed Peter’s cheek. He’d caught the sceptical, and almost scared, look on Peter’s face, and he knew that it was the recovery and things involved with it were triggering it mostly. But, still, Stephen got moments where he doubted whether Peter could trust him fully, considering his chosen profession. This was one of those moments, but the doctor quickly pushed those thoughts aside and smiled warmly at the boy. “Can I take a quick peek though?” Stephen asked, tapping Peter’s bottom lip with his finger.

Peter hesitated, then nodded. Doctor stuff scared him, but this wasn't just any doctor, this was his Daddy! And he trusted him, so he opened his mouth wide for Stephen to inspect.

“There you go!” Stephen cheered and hooked one finger gently on the inside of Peter’s cheek to see the back of his mouth. Then, with his other hand, he used the flashlight on his phone to see better. The gum was still swollen a week after the surgery, but all the stitches seemed intact. They were the kind of stitches that would dissolve on their own, so Peter wouldn’t have to go back to the clinic any time soon. The less time Peter had to spend in a medical setting, the better. After inspecting all four spots, Stephen let go of the boy. “Good boy! It all looks really good.”

Peter beamed at the news. 

“'m okay?” The boy grinned and clapped his hands. “Gotta celebrate!” He announced, eyes sliding mischievously around the kitchen. “With... with a cookie.”

“We’ll celebrate with... a nap!” Stephen announced and swooped the boy up into his arms. At all the commotion, Snowball came like a lightning bolt and began walking in circles around Stephen while wagging her tail. Peter let out a loud giggle. It turned into a shriek when Stephen tickled his sides and he squirmed around. 

“Daddyyyy!” He held on tight as they went up the stairs, and when Stephen placed him gently on the bed, he announced. “Meanie head!”

“Melon head? Oh, yummy!” Stephen joked and kissed Peter’s cheek while ticking his sides again. While the two of them wrestled playfully on the boy’s bed, Snowball let out a lonely yelp, and then jumped up onto the foot of the bed. Peter shrieked with laughter, then gently pushed Stephen away. 

“Snowball wants to play too!” He giggled, grinning. Suddenly, he wasn’t feeling too tired, but rather more excited again, and wondered if Stephen would let him get away no nap for the day. Or maybe Tony... his eyes slid to the phone in Stephen’s pocket.

“Aww, she does?” Stephen cooed and brought both hands up to give Snowball’s cheeks a good rub. The puppy looked incredibly pleased, and closed her eyes while panting softly.

“Mhm!” Peter nodded, then let himself relax into the bed. “Daddy, we nap now?” He asked. Nap didn’t sound too bad if Stephen would join him.

“Yeah. You think we’ll all fit in here?” Stephen laughed softly and gently moved Peter to the side so he could slide in. Snowball remained in her spot by the foot of the bed, but put her head up by Peter’s hip for some pats. Peter pet Snowball gently, playing with her ears and her fur. 

“Snowball is napping too!” He pointed out to Stephen. “Now it’s your turn, Daddy. Close your eyes. Shhhh. Nap time.” Peter gently poked Stephen’s eyelids and closed them. He watched his Daddy for a while before closing his own.

“Yeah, I’ll close my eyes too.” Stephen lied with a soft chuckle. While Peter and Snowball closed their eyes to rest, Stephen remained awake and stroked Peter’s brow gently with his thumb. “You know, you make me and Daddy so proud, right?” The doctor whispered vaguely, but he was pretty sure Peter knew what he was talking about.

“Uh-huhhh. You always say that, Da.” Peter hummed, body feeling as limp as a noodle now that the pain medication was starting to take effect. It felt nice having Daddy sleeping next to him during nap time too. He curled up closer to Stephen, letting the man rub his back gently. “Love you.”

“I love you too. Even if I do some scary doctor stuff now and then.” Stephen added in a hushed voice, then kissed Peter’s forehead once, and then twice. Peter smiled at that. 

“‘s okay. Daddy is... a nice doctor.” He broke off, yawning. “Night night.” He let himself drift off to sleep, surrounded by the snuffling of Snowball and Stephen’s gentle murmurings.

————

Peter giggled as Snowball licked his face for the fifth time that day. It felt like during the short month that they had had Snowball, her tongue had grown twice as large. When she licked his face, it felt like he was getting wet all over. The boy shuddered with a giggle, and tried to push back the fluffy puppy. 

“Snowballl!” The boy complained good-naturedly, shoving at the dog gently. He had gotten peanut butter all over his face during snack time that day and even though Tony had cleaned him off, clearly the scent of peanut butter still remained and excited Snowball greatly. “Daddiessss! She's doin' it again!”

“Oh, come on, love. Let the poor boy be!” Tony laughed as he came to Peter’s rescue. Using both his arms, Tony pulled the puppy away from Peter and guided her to sit between his legs. If Snowball understood the command, she didn’t care much about it and looked up at Tony adoringly. “You gotta stop doing that!” The man said to the dog, trying to be serious, but ultimately failed at. Was it even possible for a dog to be that adorable?

Peter snickered, watching as Snowball sassily licked Tony’s leg and tried to wiggle free. 

“Daddy, can we take her on a walk?” She had learned the word already, and wiggled free from Tony’s hold before jumping up and down excitedly. Peter grinned. There was no way Daddy would say no now.

Tony narrowed his eyes at Peter. He knew what the boy was doing. As much as Snowball had helped during Peter’s dental recovery, it was quite a pain in the ass when they teamed up against him and Stephen, like they just did. Snowball had made up her mind, and was lightning fast with getting her leash from the hook in the hallway, and then brought it back while jumping and huffing excitedly. 

“Okay, okay. We’ll go out. Can you go fetch Daddy then?” Tony asked Peter while attaching the leash to Snowball’s collar. Peter nodded eagerly, pleased that his plan had worked. 

“Okay!” He skipped down the hallway to find Stephen, giggling when he heard Tony call after him to walk, not run. He slowed his pace, but when he turned the corner, he picked it back up, enjoying the feeling of his hair ruffling. Then, he cannoned right into Stephen. “Oof!”

“Oh! Hey, you! You okay?” Stephen asked worriedly. Luckily, he had been quite fast with catching Peter before he could fall over, but the boy still looked a bit stunned at running into him. Peter nodded after using a few seconds to recover. 

“Mhm!” Boy, he was glad he’d run into Stephen and not Tony. Stephen was much more lenient with him and they all knew that. “Daddy said we’re going on a walk!” Peter grabbed Stephen’s hand. “C’mon!”

“Oh, okay, okay, let me just get a jacket, baby. You need one too, in fact.” Stephen said and went to Peter’s section of outdoor clothes first. After helping the boy into a denim jacket and some sneakers, the doctor got his own jacket and headed out to the front yard where Tony was waiting. In his hand, Tony had Snowball’s leash, and he constantly had to switch hands with how Snowball was circling around him. Peter excitedly bounded forward and stopped in front of Tony. 

“Can I hold her leash, Daddy?” He asked, eyes wide and pleading. “Pleaseeee? I'll be really good and hold her still and won't let her pull me around!”

“Okay, baby.” Tony gave in, and handed the leash to Peter. “But, remember to pull her close when cars or people come by, okay?” The man wasn’t entirely sure if Peter got it, considering how excited he was to walk Snowball, and so both he and Stephen kept a close distance to the two of them. It was almost like they were walking two puppies, and in a way, they were doing exactly that.

Peter skipped along the sidewalk, holding Snowball close. He smiled happily every time she paused to sniff at a patch of grass. She was so cute! Everything was going easy until they ran into another dog, held back on its leash by the owner. The boy looked behind him and at his Daddies uneasily.

“Oh, yeah, let me get that.” Stephen said in response to Peter’s unsure look. Pulling Snowball back, Stephen held the leash firmly and held the puppy back. The other dog was fully grown, and much better behaved, but Snowball was still a puppy, and so she barked. A lot. “Shh, shh, Snowball. Quiet.” Stephen commanded and crouched down to hold Snowball back to comfort her while the other dog and its owner passed by. After they had passed, Peter tugged at Stephen’s sleeve. 

“Is okay?” He asked anxiously, nodding to Snowball. Her tail was lashing from side to side, wagging furiously.

“Yeah, yeah, no worries, baby.” Stephen assured and did the same to Snowball. He made sure that the puppy was more or less calm before releasing her so they could continue walking. While Stephen held onto the leash, Tony came over to take Peter’s hand in his. 

“Snowball’s gotta learn that it’s not okay to bark at other dogs like that. She might get a bit too excited or scared even, so Daddy was just calming her down.” Tony explained helpfully.

Peter listened carefully, then nodded. 

“Daddy’s smart.”

The rest of the walk was peaceful. They didn’t encounter any other dogs or people. By the time they rounded back home, Peter was feeling tired. He let out a small whine and raised his arms and Tony picked him up.

“Tired?” Tony cooed and reached down to scoop up the boy. Even though it had been three weeks since the surgery, the boy did still tire a bit faster than usual. But, that wasn’t anything to worry about, since it would pass soon enough. “How’s your mouth feeling?”

“‘s okay,” Peter mumbled, letting his head rest on Tony’s shoulder. “Snowball had fun. Me too.” He hummed as they reached the door. “Snowball is my bestest friend. ‘m glad we got her.”

“Yeah, she definitely is. You two have been stuck together since your surgery. Like you’ve been glued together.” Tony joked and set Peter down momentarily to take off his shoes and jacket before picking him up again. Meanwhile, Stephen wiped Snowball’s paws, or at least tried to. Peter skipped inside once Tony opened the door, shedding his coat and giving it to his Daddy. 

“Mhm! We glued together.” He agreed seriously. “Snowball makes me feel all safe ‘n stuff. Daddies make me feel safe, but Snowball too, especially before somethin’ extra scary happens.”

“That’s great, baby!” Tony smiled widely. That was quite the statement that Peter made, considering his medical trauma from before. Tony hoped that Stephen also heard what Peter said. “And you mean that the scary stuff was the dentist and all that, right?”  
“Mhm.” Peter nodded with a slight frown. “I petted Snowball, and she let me.” He explained, wondering if Daddy was grinning so big because Snowball was such a nice puppy.

“Hmm, she must have known that you needed some comfort.” Tony suggested and went to pick Peter up again. If someone asked, he would have said it was because the boy looked so tired, but actually he just wanted to hold him close. He couldn’t quite get over just how much Snowball seemed to be helping with Peter’s traumas. Perhaps the annual check up wouldn’t be so bad this year.

“Mhm!” Peter nodded in agreement, wrapping his arms around Tony’s neck. “She’s gonna keep knowing that, right, Daddy?” He looked at Tony curiously. “‘Cus she’s smart. Is why ‘m not as scared as before, ‘cus Snowball will protect.”

“Oh, she definitely will. You know, she’s only a puppy now, so she’s gonna get so much smarter and better at protecting you.” Tony added. “Isn’t that great, baby?”

“Uh-huh!” Peter smiled and clapped his hands excitedly. “And if there are any mean doctors, she’ll attack!” He bounced excitedly.

“Baby!” Tony laughed and bounced Peter in his arms. By now, they had entered the kitchen where Stephen was petting Snowball. 

“I hope I’m not one of those mean doctors.” Stephen pouted at Peter. He must have overheard what the boy was saying. Peter gasped dramatically, clapping his hand over his mouth. Shaking his head hard enough to get whiplash, he stated proudly. 

“My Daddy isn’t mean!” He quickly leaned forward and pressed a kiss to Stephen’s cheek. “Never ever!”

“Oh! That’s good to hear!” Stephen swooned with his hand above his heart. “Thought my favourite boy was leaving me for a sec.” He added with a laugh and returned the kiss to Peter’s cheek. Peter gave another dramatic gasp, making them all burst into laughter. 

“Never!” Peter beamed at Stephen, then at Tony, and of course, Snowball too. 

“Would never leave you. We’re all a family! The bestest ever!” And Peter knew that his Daddies agreed. As if to seal the deal, Snowball howled happily.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you sm for reading! Both Jae and I hope you guys enjoyed this sequel and to see a bit of what life is like for the family since we last saw them in AAAD c: 💓💓 If you guys have any ideas for future lil stories in this same verse, Jae and I are all ears!!🌸🌸
> 
> I’ll leave our tumblrs here just in case someone wants to chat or drop off some ideas c:   
> Jae: petersmocha  
> Rafni: professional-benaddict


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